I am almost 72, I work with a trainer standing on one leg using 10 lb weights, 10 bicep curls and 10 shoulder presses on each leg. Anyone who is “older” can improve strength and balance! All about the abs!
That's awesome! At 72, you're crushing it—single-leg work with weights takes serious core strength and balance. Totally agree: it’s all about the abs. You're proof that age doesn’t mean slowing down—it means training smarter.
I’ve done Lee Holden’s Qi Gong for Better Balance video routine every morning for well over a year. Really helps! I did the test you described. 1 min 30 sec & could’ve gone longer.😎
That’s awesome! Over a year of daily Qi Gong is serious dedication. 1 min 30 sec on the balance test is super solid—clearly it’s working for you. Love hearing that kind of progress!
Thanks! I just love qi gong, and especially Lee's style of teaching. Clear, easy to follow, relaxing, pleasant, upbeat. I get more strength and toning from doing qi gong than when I used to pay to go to a gym. No way I'd do that again! Instead I do qg in the morning, walk in nature every day and qi gong at night to help me sleep. It's been incredibly helpful in healing my heart from AFib.
Thanks for your post. It's fun to have a chance to celebrate. :)
As a physical therapist who specializes in balance and fall prevention, I am really thrilled to see this focus on balance! I’d like to share that if you have had 2 or more unexplained falls, or 1 fall with injury requiring medical attention, or a fall from which you could not get yourself up off the ground, you are at a much higher risk for a future fall. If so, please tell your healthcare provider.
The top 4 things you can do to prevent falls:
1. Exercise, specifically balance challenge exercises upright and on your feet, and walking with balance challenges. Tai Chi Moving for Better Balance is an evidence-based exercise program. If your balance is not good enough to participate unsupervised in a class, ask for a referral to a PT for 1-to-1 balance rehab.
2. Medication management, ask your physician or pharmacist to go over your medication list to see if it is possible to be on fewer drugs, or alternate drugs that are less destabilizing.
3. Vision , have a vision evaluation annually. This should include depth perception and contrast sensitivity tests.
4. Home safety modifications if you are fall-prone.
The CDC has a program called STEADI which you can search online, check out their risk assessment brochure and steps older adults can take to reduce fall risk.
If you or your loved one are older and frailer (e.g., age 75+ and becoming home bound) the home-based but professionally monitored OTAGO exercise program may benefit you.
If you have loss of sensation in your feet, please consider using a cane whenever you are on uneven or unfamiliar surfaces.
Thank you so much for sharing this—seriously valuable info. Love how clear and practical your tips are. I try to highlight the importance of balance often, but hearing it straight from a PT who specializes in fall prevention gives it so much more weight. I’ll definitely refer people to the STEADI program and mention OTAGO too—didn’t have that one on my radar. Appreciate you taking the time to write this out!
I've been running yoga classes for the last 7 months at my over 55 community. Yoga is about balance, strength and flexibility, and I focus on core, core, core--the "seat" of balance. We figure if we beat the expected amount of seconds designated for our age, by how long we can stand on one foot, we can lie about our age. Standing in tree or warrior pose places me in the 45 to 50 category. I'm 76.
That's impressive! Core strength is really key, especially for maintaining balance as we age. Holding tree or warrior pose and landing in the 45–50 range at 76? You're seriously raising the bar and showing the younger crowd how it’s done.
At 78 I think my balance is actually pretty good but I have a torn tondon in one foot, a troublesome bone spur in the other and a long term degenerating undiagnosed something with one knee and a suffuse spinal stenosis... so I cannot do those exercises or that test.
I was very hard on my body for an active 60 plus years!
Totally get it — you've clearly put your body through a lot over the years, and it's earned every ache and pain. Sounds like you've got solid balance despite all that, which honestly says a lot. Respect. And yeah, not every exercise or test fits every body, especially one with that much mileage — gotta find what works for you.
Ability to balance on one leg erodes as the knees wear out. I can balance well enough on the leg with a knee replacement, but not on the knee where the medial meniscus is thinning.
Thanks for pointing that out—you’re absolutely right. The ability to balance isn’t just about practice or mindset; it’s also very much about what’s physically going on in the body. When the medial meniscus thins or the joint is worn, it changes how stable that leg can be, no matter how much effort you put in. It’s actually really interesting that your knee replacement side gives you better balance—that highlights how much proper joint function matters in tests like this. Appreciate you bringing a real-life perspective to the conversation.
I work on this regularly, but have autoimmune neuropathy in my feet (not severe) that makes it hard. Sometimes 30 seconds, sometimes less. I’m 67 and do a full routine of exercises for balance and strength, and still find the one leg stand very tricky.
Totally get it — that sounds tough. Autoimmune neuropathy can really mess with balance, no matter how fit you are. You're clearly doing all the right things with your routine, and just managing to attempt the one-leg stand regularly is already a win. Some days it'll be better than others — even 10-15 seconds is solid work, especially at 67. Keep at it, but don’t beat yourself up if it's inconsistent.
So glad I found this. My balance has been off for a while. Find myself lightly touching a wall or counter. It’s not too bad. Yet. But I knew I needed to do something about it.
I am almost 72, I work with a trainer standing on one leg using 10 lb weights, 10 bicep curls and 10 shoulder presses on each leg. Anyone who is “older” can improve strength and balance! All about the abs!
That's awesome! At 72, you're crushing it—single-leg work with weights takes serious core strength and balance. Totally agree: it’s all about the abs. You're proof that age doesn’t mean slowing down—it means training smarter.
I’ve done Lee Holden’s Qi Gong for Better Balance video routine every morning for well over a year. Really helps! I did the test you described. 1 min 30 sec & could’ve gone longer.😎
That’s awesome! Over a year of daily Qi Gong is serious dedication. 1 min 30 sec on the balance test is super solid—clearly it’s working for you. Love hearing that kind of progress!
Thanks! I just love qi gong, and especially Lee's style of teaching. Clear, easy to follow, relaxing, pleasant, upbeat. I get more strength and toning from doing qi gong than when I used to pay to go to a gym. No way I'd do that again! Instead I do qg in the morning, walk in nature every day and qi gong at night to help me sleep. It's been incredibly helpful in healing my heart from AFib.
Thanks for your post. It's fun to have a chance to celebrate. :)
Just did one minute on each foot. Could have went longer. Age: 60. Yoga!!
That's awesome! One minute on each foot is solid—yoga clearly pays off. You’re setting the bar high for 60!
As a physical therapist who specializes in balance and fall prevention, I am really thrilled to see this focus on balance! I’d like to share that if you have had 2 or more unexplained falls, or 1 fall with injury requiring medical attention, or a fall from which you could not get yourself up off the ground, you are at a much higher risk for a future fall. If so, please tell your healthcare provider.
The top 4 things you can do to prevent falls:
1. Exercise, specifically balance challenge exercises upright and on your feet, and walking with balance challenges. Tai Chi Moving for Better Balance is an evidence-based exercise program. If your balance is not good enough to participate unsupervised in a class, ask for a referral to a PT for 1-to-1 balance rehab.
2. Medication management, ask your physician or pharmacist to go over your medication list to see if it is possible to be on fewer drugs, or alternate drugs that are less destabilizing.
3. Vision , have a vision evaluation annually. This should include depth perception and contrast sensitivity tests.
4. Home safety modifications if you are fall-prone.
The CDC has a program called STEADI which you can search online, check out their risk assessment brochure and steps older adults can take to reduce fall risk.
If you or your loved one are older and frailer (e.g., age 75+ and becoming home bound) the home-based but professionally monitored OTAGO exercise program may benefit you.
If you have loss of sensation in your feet, please consider using a cane whenever you are on uneven or unfamiliar surfaces.
Stay as active as you safely can.
Thank you so much for sharing this—seriously valuable info. Love how clear and practical your tips are. I try to highlight the importance of balance often, but hearing it straight from a PT who specializes in fall prevention gives it so much more weight. I’ll definitely refer people to the STEADI program and mention OTAGO too—didn’t have that one on my radar. Appreciate you taking the time to write this out!
You’re most welcome! Thank you for bringing attention to balance!
I've been running yoga classes for the last 7 months at my over 55 community. Yoga is about balance, strength and flexibility, and I focus on core, core, core--the "seat" of balance. We figure if we beat the expected amount of seconds designated for our age, by how long we can stand on one foot, we can lie about our age. Standing in tree or warrior pose places me in the 45 to 50 category. I'm 76.
That's impressive! Core strength is really key, especially for maintaining balance as we age. Holding tree or warrior pose and landing in the 45–50 range at 76? You're seriously raising the bar and showing the younger crowd how it’s done.
At 78 I think my balance is actually pretty good but I have a torn tondon in one foot, a troublesome bone spur in the other and a long term degenerating undiagnosed something with one knee and a suffuse spinal stenosis... so I cannot do those exercises or that test.
I was very hard on my body for an active 60 plus years!
But that is good advice.
Totally get it — you've clearly put your body through a lot over the years, and it's earned every ache and pain. Sounds like you've got solid balance despite all that, which honestly says a lot. Respect. And yeah, not every exercise or test fits every body, especially one with that much mileage — gotta find what works for you.
Ability to balance on one leg erodes as the knees wear out. I can balance well enough on the leg with a knee replacement, but not on the knee where the medial meniscus is thinning.
Thanks for pointing that out—you’re absolutely right. The ability to balance isn’t just about practice or mindset; it’s also very much about what’s physically going on in the body. When the medial meniscus thins or the joint is worn, it changes how stable that leg can be, no matter how much effort you put in. It’s actually really interesting that your knee replacement side gives you better balance—that highlights how much proper joint function matters in tests like this. Appreciate you bringing a real-life perspective to the conversation.
We know this test ,at our age 56 and 65 , but we doing it with closed eyes. That is a challenge :o)))
You're right, doing it with closed eyes definitely takes it up a notch! That's real balance ninja level 😄
I work on this regularly, but have autoimmune neuropathy in my feet (not severe) that makes it hard. Sometimes 30 seconds, sometimes less. I’m 67 and do a full routine of exercises for balance and strength, and still find the one leg stand very tricky.
Totally get it — that sounds tough. Autoimmune neuropathy can really mess with balance, no matter how fit you are. You're clearly doing all the right things with your routine, and just managing to attempt the one-leg stand regularly is already a win. Some days it'll be better than others — even 10-15 seconds is solid work, especially at 67. Keep at it, but don’t beat yourself up if it's inconsistent.
So glad I found this. My balance has been off for a while. Find myself lightly touching a wall or counter. It’s not too bad. Yet. But I knew I needed to do something about it.
I’m going to get started right away.
Thank you so much.
You're so welcome. Starting now is the best thing you can do—small steps add up fast. You've got this!
Movement and balance. I’ve been practicing this for years and everyday gets better. I'm 70 and can touch the floor with flat palms. Never give up!
That’s incredible! Hitting the floor with flat palms at 70 is no joke. Love your attitude—shows what consistency can do. Total inspiration.
WE can do this!😚